Tuesdays With Tracy

Hi Friends!

I’m glad you are here to join me as I’m “pondering on the pond” in this February edition of Tuesdays With Tracy. This is the current view of the pond. One of the things I love about Colorado is that usually after a snow day we have lots of sunshine.

Welcome to February Tuesdays With Tracy

This month I will be talking about …

Things that refresh my heart

February has two wonderful days, Valentines Day (14th) and National (U.S.) Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th). 

“May our hearts overflow with love and kindness to others, expecting nothing in return.”

Faith and Family Refresh My Heart

Last Sunday after church I asked my youngest granddaughter, who is six, what she learned in Sunday school. She said they learned about kindness through the story of Ruth, and proceeded to tell me the story.  Well I can tell you that for both Larry and I, that refreshed our hearts!

Last night I then received a sweet gift (that is on my wrist right now) from her nine year old sister.

I don’t have enough words to tell you how much each and every one of our grandchildren refresh my heart!

Refreshing My Home Refreshes My Heart

Moving things around, and pulling out fresh decor always refreshes my heart. I put away the greenery and small trees from January and did a refresh in our home.  I still have some organizing to do in the basement with the Christmas and winter decor. I’ll worry about that tomorrow, ha!

As you can see below, I pulled out a few hearts for the decor refresh in my home. And I added an old vintage red and white quilt on the pew.

Kelly and I made the hearts shown above and some of them even have a little pocket for a sweet love note.  You can see that post here!

Every winter I set a tray for having afternoon tea, and leave it on a table in the living room. There is something comforting about having tea on a cold winter day. This tray is currently on our coffee table. 

It’s particularly fun to use my Emma Bridgewater heart pottery in February.

Nearly all of the items on the tray were gifts. So, as I was setting the tray, fond memories were filling my heart and mind of family and friends.  Some of the items were thrifted or found while traveling. 

Those memories refresh my heart.

The folded quilt shown below is a new one I purchased from 

https://www.ucountcampaign.org/shop .  It was made by a woman in India who was rescued from human trafficking.  

I was in Homegoods and found two new pillows for the chairs in front of the window.  It is so dangerous and so fun to shop there.

Friendship & Art Refreshes My Heart

Last Fall I went on a ‘girlfriend’ trip to Laguna Beach to see “The Pageant of the Masters”.  We are a group of friends who get together to learn art.  Barb is our teacher and we have dubbed ourselves the “Artlings”. That was inspired by C.S. Lewis’ group of writing friends called the “Inklings”. 

Barb has a great deal of patience with us as we spend a lot of time laughing (mostly at ourselves) and talking while trying to create art. These friendships refresh my heart.

On our trip I purchased two prints that I have included in my February home refresh.

The heart garland is made from pages of a French book and was a sweet gift from my friend Melinda.  She is a friend I made on Instagram, I know, isn’t’ that crazy.

Larry and I got to have a brief visit with her and her husband in their beautiful cottage home in the LA area. We are the updated version of pen pals who pray and encourage each other’s hearts.

That unusual friendship refreshes my heart.

Flowers Refresh My Heart

Last Fall I decided to press some geranium petals. I saved them in an old vintage book and then I couldn’t remember which book they were in (rolling my eyes).  I have no idea what I will do with them but it was fun finding them. 

I usually dry some of the flowers from my garden to refresh my heart during the winter months.  Did you notice that I put some of the geranium petals on the tea tray above?

Now is the time to prepare for flowers in spring and summer so I am planning to plant Zinnias in pots and possibly a raised flower bed.  Below are some seeds I have purchased for pots.  

Speaking of Zinnias, have you seen Kelly’s new project?  She has a new creative endeavor called 

The Lazy Girl’s Garden Club. I’m sure you have been enjoying her new Instagram account 

@thelazygirlsgardenclub .  It is also on Facebook. It is getting me inspired for the flowers of spring and summer!  And that refreshes my heart!

“People from a planet without flowers

would think we must be

mad with joy the whole time

to have such things about us.”

Iris Murdoch

Winter can be a gloomy time. I encourage you to ponder the things around you that refresh your heart. 

“May our hearts overflow with love and kindness to others, expecting nothing in return.”

Love,

Tracy